


Hang The DJ (sing me to sleep)

by bip2



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Black Mirror Episode: s04e04 Hang the DJ, Black Mirror AU, Fluff, M/M, for now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-07-14 16:26:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16044161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bip2/pseuds/bip2
Summary: A system where robots on your wrists decide who you are to love and when. A literal countdown is synced to your breakup, these random relationships can last from any where as short as one night to five years.When You Zhangjing and Lin Yanjun are paired together for a single evening, they spend the rest of their time in the System wondering if it's possible there was a mistake, all while laying in other people's beds.





	1. Sing to me... sing me to sleep...

**Author's Note:**

> this should be about four parts, sorry not a lot happens here. 
> 
> Happy Birthday You Zhangjing!

 

Yanjun fiddles with his cufflinks nervously, brown eyes scanning the table in front of him. All around Yanjun, happy couples laugh and share a meal in different booths. Not many are sitting alone like him, the few that are reject the friendly smile he gives them when they both make eye contact. 

 

This is his first time trying the system, he knows somehow without any one telling him that this is how it was expected for everyone to find their one Match. Your Match was the one person who would understand you, comfort you, and love you for the rest of your life, you just had to follow the system until you found them. 

 

Yanjun didn’t know who his first match would be, in fact it almost seemed like they were late. Anxiously he rolled his knife back and forth on the table top, the rhythmic motions soothing his nerves, it lulled him into such a relaxed state that he didn’t even notice the short man standing awkwardly in front of him.  

 

“Oh! Hi!” Yanjun exclaimed, quickly rising to his feet and holding out his hand, “Are you my Match?” 

 

“I should be?” The short man said, pausing to check his wrist where his Coach was located. The seconds of silence while he tapped on the screen gave Yanjun ample time to admire his cute cheeks and curly, fluffy hair. 

 

_ I bet it’s soft.  _

 

“Yup”, the shorter man finally confirms, “I’m in the right place.” 

 

“In that case”, Yanjun holds out his hand and waits for the shorter man to shake it, “I’m Lin Yanjun.” 

 

It has been less than five minutes, and yet Yanjun cannot help himself from smiling a little wider when the man noticeablely becomes less nervous as he shakes Yanjun’s hand. 

 

“Hello Lin Yanjun”, the shorter man says, with his soft soft  _ soft  _ hands, “I’m You Zhangjing.” 

 

“Do you want to take a seat?” Yanjun asks, feeling a bit stupid almost immediately after because of course Zhangjing would like to take a seat, that’s what the System tells them to do. 

 

“What else would we do?” Zhangjing giggles as he sits down in the previously empty chair. 

The following conversation is sweet, their food hasn’t arrived yet and when Zhangjing’s stomach growls, Yanjun offers him mints that he has in his pockets. Zhangjing tells him a joke when he puts it in his mouth, which in turn sets off Yanjun’s pun vomit. 

 

“Oh my god, stop”, Zhangjing begs, leaning over the table to try and swat at Yanjun, “You’re not funny.”

 

“And yet, you’re still smiling.” Yanjun remarks, cooing outwardly when Zhangjing immediately covers his mouth with his palm and giggles cutely. 

 

\--

 

This is going so much better than Zhangjing ever thought it would. When he had first entered that intimidating restaurant, with its tall walls and overbearing smell of multiple colognes and perfumes, he had felt like he was going to throw up. 

 

Now as Zhangjing listened to an amusing story from Yanjun, he wondered what he had ever doubted the System for, after all it had matched him with such a handsome and charismatic man. Yanjun seemed like someone he could have a good time with, although Zhangjing knew they both had to check their Coaches soon. 

 

“Do you want to see how much time we have together?” Zhangjing blurts out during one of the many comfortable lulls in their conversation. 

 

“If you want to?” Yanjun asks, his voice pitching up at the end curiously, “This is my first time doing this.”

 

“Oh, me too!” Zhangjing responds, his words coming out in a giddy rush and relaxing even more. The knowledge that Yanjun was as fresh to this as he was, was incredibly comforting. “I’ll only do it if you want to, we both have to press it to find out the times anyways.” 

 

“Then sure”, Yanjun breezily replies, bringing up his wrist to check the watch-like robot that the System used to notify all participants. “We just press this button, right?”

 

“Yeah, I think so”, Zhangjing looks up at Yanjun to accidentally meet his chocolate brown eyes as they both tap the screens on their Coaches at the same time. 

 

“Twelve hours, fifteen minutes, and twenty-seven seconds.” Yanjun reads the countdown out loud, his voice sounding disappointed. Or at least, Zhangjing hoped it was disappointment and not relief that he was catching in the man’s tone. 

 

“O-oh well” Zhangjing sounds out, his smile feeling stiff on his face, “There’ll be others.” 

“I’ll always remember this, though.” Yanjun promises him, putting his hand on Zhangjing’s and giving it a light squeeze. Zhangjing tries to ignore the way it makes him feel to hold Yanjun’s hand. 

 

A waiter brings their food to them, but neither of them ever placed an order. It all looks fantastic though, so Zhangjing assumes this is just another part of the System and accepts it. 

 

He still wants to know why Yanjun said that though, sentences that make his hearth light up with warmth should always be explained. Although Zhangjing cannot recall what life before the System was like, a part of knows the desire for explanations comes from a place of insecurity and distrust. 

 

“That pasta looks amazing”, Yanjun comments, he had pulled away his hand to eat. “Can I have a bite?”

 

“Of course”, Zhangjing twirls some around his fork and holds the utensil out for Yanjun to grab. Instead Yanjun just eats it right there, licking the sides of his mouth for smeared sauce. Zhangjing’s pretty sure his hand is trembling, because the minute Yanjun had the fork inside his mouth the guards in black that has been standing in the shadows had creeped closer to them. 

 

Zhangjing’s pretty sure Yanjun notices the threatening presence too, as the brunette immediately leans away and into his own personal space. He winks at Zhangjing, and although it shouldn’t reassure him in any way, the pun that follows about “impastas” amuses him enough to make Zhangjing forget about all the people watching them. 

 

They talk a little more, Yanjun is apparently younger than him. Zhangjing tricks him into thinking he’s sixteen for the better part of ten minutes before he outs himself by talking about a dated piece of pop culture that no one that young would know. In his defense, it was his favorite song as a kid, and Yanjun had asked if he sang. 

 

A half hour later, they finish up dinner and head out the door. In the little golf cart that had pulled to the curb, Zhangjing leans out of the side to catch a glimpse of the towering walls that surrounded the entire System’s complex. A bump in the pathway almost sends him flying out, but a steady and warm arm wraps itself around his waist to keep him inside. 

 

“Careful”, Yanjun says in a voice as soft as the look on his face that’s directed at Zhangjing. 

 

_ Careful  _ Zhangjing reminds himself of their relationship’s doomed end at dawn, that the System will break them up before the first pink rays of sun beams hit their window. .

 

When they step into the beautiful house, “#250”, Zhangjing takes a second to admire the beautiful decor. Eventually he follows Yanjun into the master bedroom, where a single bed is in the very middle, but  a small couch is placed in front of the fireplace. 

 

“I’m much smaller than you so…” Zhangjing starts to eye the pile of pillows on the bed to see how many he can steal, when Yanjun’s voice interrupts his thoughts. 

 

“Why would you sleep on the couch? We’re dating right now, we should sleep together.” Yanjun says boldly, already taking off his jacket and tie. The younger man automatically flushes at the way Zhangjing’s resulting splutter, adding, “Not like that.” 

 

“Of course.” Zhangjing agrees, trying to recover from the mini heart attack that statement had almost given him. It seemed Yanjun has a penchant for making bold statements that threaten to make him swoon like a teenager. 

 

After a quick shower, they’re both too tired to crawl underneath the extremely tightly tucked in covers, so they lay on top of them facing each other. Zhangjng learns that Yanjun is this beautiful naturally as any makeup would have been washed off by that extremely long thirty minute shower. 

 

Yanjun sleepily tells him that he usually takes longer, but that he was too excited to return to bed with Zhangjing. Zhangjing is too tired to try and pretend that that didn’t make him blush a bit. 

 

“Yanjun?” Zhangjing asks, when it looks like Yanjun’s eyes are staying closed more than they are open. He still has one burning question, “Why did you say that you’d remember this?”

 

“Because you’re my first” is the simple reply, half muffled into the cushy blue comforter. In the dark where Zhangjing can barely see into, a slightly cold hand gropes around his elbow before linking their fingers together. Zhangjing smiles at Yanjun’s almost invisible face and squeezes it just like Yanjun did back at the restaurant. 

 

“Zhangjing?” 

 

“Yeah….?” Zhangjing blearily replies, he was so so close to falling asleep. He swore he had never felt so comfortable in his life, even if right now he can’t remember any other times he’s slept, ever. 

 

“Can you sing me a lullaby?” Yanjun’s voice is a whisper wrapped in cotton balls, only audible due to their proximity. 

 

“Of course.” Zhangjing thinks back through his repertoire for the perfect song for a sleepy Lin Yanjun. He eventually remembers one, and begins to hum the first notes. 

They’re cuddling each other in their sleep before Zhangjing even gets to the chorus. 


	2. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They leave each other in the morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck I'm sorry guys, it's been a while since I've had time to write but i had this little bit laying around and I just wanted to put something up :)

In the morning, Yanjun wakes up still holding Zhangjing’s hand. There’s sunlight streaming in through the windows, although he swears that the curtains were closed last night. They fell asleep on top of the comforter, Yanjun grins slightly at the way Zhangjing’s hair is all pushed to one side.

Sunrays turn his brown curls into ribbons of gold, like a delicate and treasured crown upon Zhangjing’s head. Yanjun slowly turns onto his side, wincing a bit when the warmth from the bed is immediately stolen by the chilly breeze that drifts through the open windows, and carefully satisfies his curiosity by touching -ever so gently- a single finger to tug on one of the curls.

“Lin Yanjun?” Zhangjing’s eyes flutter open after a few moments, they stay closed longer than they’re open. It almost looks likes Zhangjing is about to fall back into slumber.

Yanjun freezes immediately, his hand stuck in its position only a few centimeters from Zhangjing’s face. ‘Fuck’ he thinks, wondering how long it’s going to take Zhangjing to question what exactly he was doing, to ask him why he was being creepy and touching the older man’s hair in his sleep.

“What are yo-” Zhangjing’s sleepy question barely tumbles out of his mouth before Yanjun makes his very poorly planned decision to avoid any questions. Impulsively his hand darts downwards, and cradles Zhangjing’s cheek.

“Good morning.” Yanjun blurts out, eyes wide and biting his lip immediately afterwards. This might even be more creepy that getting caught, but he can’t even bring himself to regret anything. For Zhangjing’s cheek is soft and perfect and they’re laying down and facing each other and he’s caressing Zhangjing’s face before Yanjun can stop himself from doing it.

“Morning.” Zhangjing replies, a little breathless, a little flushed, and so very lovely. He looks surprised, but then he smiles at Yanjun and the world melts away.

“H-how did you sleep?” Yanjun replies, barely holding in a flinch of surprise when Zhangjing’s warm hand comes up and rests on the base of his neck.

“I slept fine” It must be just Yanjun’s wishful thinking but it feels like Zhangjing’s head shifted a bit closer to him atop the comforter when he said that. “How about you?”

“I think I’m still asleep, actually.” Yanjun whispers, his tone taking a conspiratorial twist.

“Why’s that?” Zhangjing questions, cocking his head to the side and pushing his crown deeper into the blankets.

“Because when I wake up next to you” Yanjun pauses, as the shorter man scooted closer to hear his softly spoken statement, “It’s like a dream come true.”

Zhangjing immediately flushes at that. Unlike last night, the morning light makes his pink dusted cheeks clearly visible. Yanjun swears he can feel the one under his palm heat up. “Really?”

“Of course.” Yanjun readily agrees, he’s honestly ready to sing this man’s praises right here and now.

“If you already have your dream fulfilled…” Zhangjing moves his hand on Yanjun’s neck, swiping his thumb over the skin that’s exposed his tugged down collar, “Then can you help me turn what I dreamed about into reality?”

“Sure, what is it?” Yanjun asks, eager to help Zhangjing with what ever he needs. Maybe the older man wants to eat something yummy for breakfast, Yanjun knows -without having a single memory of ever doing so - that he can make fantastic breakfast noodles with peanut sauce. Or maybe he wants to explore the house? Yanjun’s curious about it too, since all they did last night was go into the bedroom and fall asleep.

Yanjun’s thoughts come to a screeching halt when the hand that was resting on his neck presses his head forwards, his small questioning sound swallowed by Zhangjing’s soft and warm lips. They kiss and it’s perfect, lips brushing over and over, his lids falling closed and his hand tilting Zhangjing’s face up for a better angle. Their intertwined hands tighten in each other’s grip. A warm tongue traces the seam of his lips, Zhangjing sucks the bottom of his lip into his mouth for just a moment, teasing.

He almost whines when Zhangjing pulls away, Yanjun sees the way Zhangjing’s eyes don’t leave his lips when the older man speaks even as Zhangjing removes his hand from Yanjun’s neck. Blinking, he belatedly realizes that he missed what Zhangjing was trying to tell him.

“Sorry”, Yanjun breathes out, taking his hand off of Zhangjing’s cheek, “What?”

“I said we should probably get ready, we might not have much time left.” Zhangjing repeats himself, as both of their Coaches chime automatically, warning them in the AI’s monotone voice that they only have fifteen minutes left together.

Together they move to get off the bed, when Zhangjing seems to finally notice that they’re still holding hands, “Oh, hmm sorry about that. My hands must have been so sweaty.”

Yanjun doesn’t want to let go.

Yanjun mumurrs that it’s fine, his hand feeling empty and cold with Zhangjing’s in it. He does not tell the other man how he feels: not when they brush their teeth together and he makes fun of Zhangjing’s face when he srcubs his front teeth, not when they share a glass of water together, and not when the countdown is displayed in the sky above their house, with the final second ticking away and the door loudly locking behind them.

“Goodbye.”

Yanjun does not want to let Zhangjing go.

“You have a new Match, be at the Restaurant by 7:30 sharp!” His Coach chirps, reminding him that this is all part of the System, that he has to trust in the System.

Yanjun does not want to let go, and yet it seems like he has to.

He finds himself sitting in white at a table before he knows it. Yanjun makes a promise to himself that he will not look for a familiar head of curls, and give this new Match a chance.

Even if a part of him still doesn’t want to.


End file.
